After whisking the players to far-flung galaxies in the excellent Space Station
Oblivion (a.k.a. Driller) and Dark Side, Incentive brought their revolutionary
Freescape 3D engine to breath life into ancient Egypt. Legend has it that Ra, the
God of Sun, had placed a convenient curse upon his people: if the sun's rays to his
shrine atop the pyramid are blocked by anything during daylight hours, he would
obliterate the earth. The trouble, of course, is that thousands of years later you've
just discovered that there will be a total eclipse of the sun in two hours - that is,
therefore, the amount of time you have to race the fiendish mazes inside the pyramid
to find Ra's shrine and prevent the catastrophe. Of course, what's a pyramid without
hidden treasure to plunder? To that end, Total Eclipse is full of treasure for the
taking, and your final score is based on the amount of loot you've managed to get as
well as whether or not you have indeed saved the world. You are equipped with a
revolver (with unlimited bullets), a wristwatch that ticks ominously towards the end
of the world, a water bottle which you will need to fill constantly to satisfy your
thirst. Collect ankhs to open doors, shoot mummies, drink
water and maybe then you solve the puzzle of pyramid. Controlling yourself in 3D
world, you may change angle of your rotation and width of your steps to avoid some
obstacles. Also you can use your gun to shoot some doors or to eliminate some foes.
Despite a more interactive environment, this is a much more difficult games
than Incentive's previous offerings and may leave a beginner frustrated. Patience to
map the maze-like environs is a must in this one. Recommended, but not for the faint
of heart or anyone who's unwilling to sacrifice hours to get lost in desolate ancient
ruins. A free remake was done in 2007 by Ovine Dy Design.